Watch an airbag inflator (without the bag) go off in slow motion

And there are many videos on YouTube that show this happening. There aren't as many that show what happens behind the bag, and the video above rectifies that.

It starts off with your typical slow-motion video of just a normal airbag inflating and busting through the steering-wheel plastic. But after that, the videographer disassembles an airbag down to the explosive core to show how that works. The result is just a split-second burst of sound and gas, but in slow motion, you get a pretty spectacular show of ultra-hot gas and even some sparks radiating from all the little holes around the cartridge.

The video wraps up with a makeshift cannon with the cartridge at the bottom and a cylindrical wooden projectile to get an idea of the force generated by the airbag. The results are remarkable, with the projectile ripping a clean hole in the cover facing the cannon and smashing into a heavy tool case. And that's as good a time as any to remind readers to not try this at home, just enjoy the video.